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CHAPTER 28
WINNIE
I’m sittingin the living room with Margo, both of us drinking an afternoon coffee and looking at design magazines, when Archer gets back from his workout. I know his run along the beach wasn’t necessary; he’d gone to the gym early this morning before our walk. If I had to guess, I would think he may have wanted some space from me. Or maybe the short flight from Manhattan to here really made him feel like he had to let off some steam.
Or maybe he’s as worked up as I am at the thought of having to share a bed together.
“Good workout?” Margo asks Archer as he opens the refrigerator.
He sets an empty glass on the counter before taking the pitcher of filtered water out and pouring himself a glass. He nods before sucking down the water in just a few gulps.
Why does he have to look hot while doing something as simple as taking a drink of water?
He closes the door of the fridge, bracing his hands on the lip of the counter. “It was great, actually,” he tells Margo, his eyes flicking to me. “I had to let off some steam.”
My eyes go wide as I squirm in my chair at the undertone of his words. There’s no way I’m going to be able to resist himtonight, and there’s no way I’m going to tell him I trust him tonight. I’ve found myself in a bit of a predicament.
“I’m so happy to hear that. Beck had to jump on a call, but I know next ti?—”
“Hey, Margo, before I forget to ask. Do you have any spare pillows anywhere?” I blurt, not caring that she was mid-sentence.
Both Margo and Archer look at me with a confused stare. Margo’s the one to speak up.
“Um, yeah, we have extras in the linen closet in the hallway next to your room. Are there not enough? I swore I gave you six…”
I nod, knowing I’ll need as many pillows as possible to create a barrier between Archer and me tonight. That’ll fix our little problem for the weekend. If I create a wall of pillows between us, maybe I’ll be able to forget about the six-foot-four man lying next to me who has abs of steel and also happens to be my husband.
Yeah, pillows between us will definitely make me forget about how much I want to roll around in the sheets with him.
“I just like a lot of pillows,” I lie. It’s terrible for your posture to sleep with any more than one, but I don’t mention that.
Margo stares at me with a blank expression while Archer watches me with his eyes narrowed. He knows exactly what I’m doing, but I’m in too deep to stop it.
“Okay,” Margo finally gets out, shutting the magazine we were looking at. “I can show you where they are,” she offers.
I shake my head, watching Archer back away from the two of us and disappearing into the hallway without a goodbye. “Oh, I’ll find them when I get back to the room. I just wanted to check with you.” I look away from the empty hallway, wondering if Archer is mad or if he was just done with the conversation.
Luckily, Margo changes the subject and takes me from my own thoughts for a moment. “Thank you again for looking theseover with me. I feel like I at least have an idea of what I’ll want for the pool house.”
“I love that you’re making it into such an entertainment area but keeping the same classy, old-school vibe you’ve established with the main house,” I tell her.
We sit together for another five minutes, going over her vision after the renovations are done until I can’t sit still any longer. I want to find Archer to see why he left so abruptly.
“I might go lie down for a little bit before getting ready for tonight,” Margo says, getting me out of having to come up with an excuse to leave her alone to find Archer.
I let out a sigh of relief, giving her a soft smile. “Same,” I lie. I’m not tired at all, but she doesn’t need to know that.
Margo wraps her arms around me, pulling me in for a long hug. “I’m just so happy you’re here this weekend. I can’t wait to spend time with you and Emma and have Pippa with us, too.” She pulls away, a wide smile on her face. “This is going to be thebestweekend!”
I give her a tight-lipped smile. The jury’s still out on how this weekend will turn out, but no matter how much tension there is between Archer and me, I’m excited to spend the weekend with the girls. Tomorrow, the guys are going to go to some kind of fancy whiskey tasting at the Pembroke Hills Country Club, leaving us girls to enjoy a morning at the spa, followed by a tasting at a local vineyard.
“I’ll see you in a bit for dinner,” I say as she begins to walk to the other side of the house. Quickly, I spin on my heel and rush down the hallway toward the room I’m sharing with Archer. I make a quick stop to grab the pillows Margo mentioned. There are only four in there, and they’re not as fluffy as the ones on our bed, but I take them anyway. They’ll do the trick. Anything will work as long as it creates a barrier between us.
The door to our room is shut, but I open it anyway. He might be taking a work call or finishing up changingfrom his workout gear, but he didn’t lock it, so I slowly push it open. I step inside, finding his phone on one of the cream wood nightstands. Quietly, I set the pillows on the bed, wondering where he could be.
I’m about to go looking for him in the rest of the house when I notice the sound of the shower coming from the en suite bathroom. I stop at the opening. I know I should leave and give him privacy. He probably wasn’t expecting me to come back to the room so quickly. I’m about to sneak back into the hallway when the sound of his voice stops me in my tracks.
I freeze, leaning closer to the bathroom to see if I heard him correctly. I swore I heard my name, but maybe it’s my mind playing tricks on me. It’s quiet except for the sound of the water hitting the tile.
